Luke 1:39-45 is traditionally called "Mary's Visit to Elizabeth" and is tied up with the Luke 1:46-56, "The Magnificat" through v. 46, the response of Mary to Elizabeth's salutation (vv. 42-45) and v. 56 which concludes the section by telling us of Mary's leaving Elizabeth after three months. Luke 1:39 introduces the narrative, breaking off from 1:38; 1:57 introduces the narrative of the birth of the Baptist.
The Text of Luke 1:39-56
Mary's visit to Elizabeth is narratively linked to the episode of the Annunciation where the angel refers to the pregnancy of the "relative (sungeneis), Elizabeth" as a sign by which Mary would know that the words said to her will be realized (1:36). So it has been the traditional interpretation that Mary went to Elizabeth in order to help her cousin, assisting her through her pregnancy. Such an interpretation has contributed to the idea that Mary went to Elizabeth out of charity. It has been pointed out however that this was not Luke's intention since in verse 56, Mary leaves Elizabeth just before she gives birth. Luke's intent is not biographical but theological. In his account of Mary's visitation of Elizabeth, Luke presents Mary as the one who announces the good news to Elizabeth, a type of the new Israel -- the Church -- bringing the gospel to the Israel that has been awaiting its Messiah.
Images of Mary
Some interpreters of this passage give us the following images of Mary in this episode
Ortensio da Spinetoli1 has found parallels between Mary's visitation and the account of the bringing of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. Mary in going to a "the mountains ... into a city of Judah" -- and therefore to a point near or around David's city -- is like the ark of the covenant that is brought to Jerusalem from the house of Obed-Edom (2 Sam. 6:12-19). Mary brings in her womb the Word of God, the "Bread from Heaven", just as the ark of the covenant contained the Ten Words and the Mannah in the Desert. The acclamations of Elizabeth parallel the acclamations of the people ("with shouts", 2 Sam. 6:15; Elizabeth "called out in a loud voice, crying out" Lk. 1:42) who greet the ark as it goes up towards its designated place.
Another image given to us is that of the early missionaries who are instructed to move with haste, greet those in the house they go to with "Peace be with you" and stay there when they are welcomed. Mary therefore is the first of the missionaries: by her greeting of peace, the Holy Spirit fills up Elizabeth touching even her unborn child such that this latter even leaps for joy. The missionary image is completed by Mary's proclamation of the good news in the Magnificat.
Elizabeth's Greeting
Luke tells us that when Elizabeth hears Mary's salutation, the baby in her womb leapt (eskirtesen) and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. And because filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth prophesied with a loud voice, calling Mary "blessed among women" and the life beginning to stir within her "blessed is the fruit of your womb". Catholics recognize these words as the second half of the first part of the "Hail Mary". These opening words are paralled by the macharism in v. 45 "Blessed is she who has believed that what was said to her from the Lord will be realized (literally: "will be brought to perfection")." Mary is blessed among women because she has believed. This is a reference to Mary's "fiat" to the angel who has revealed to her her election as mother of the redeemer (Luke 1:31-33). In vv. 43-44, Elizabeth expresses her recognition of Mary as "mother of my Lord" and interprets the leaping of the baby in her womb as a "leaping in joy".
The verb for "to leap" as used here is skirtao and appears one more time in a context associated with blessedness, in 6:23. In this latter verse, those who are associated to Jesus in persecution are told to leap for joy because their reward will be great in heaven. This foretaste of eschatological joy is what makes the yet unborn babe leap in the womb of Elizabeth. Skirtao is also used to describe the movement of the brothers Esau and Jacob (Gen. 25:22, LXX) in the womb of their mother in reference to a relationship between the two. Even the Baptist, therefore, recognizes the coming of Jesus in the womb of Mary, thanks to the Holy Spirit that filled up his mother. He leaps "in joy" recognizing in Mary's voice the bearer of the one mightier than he.
In the Fourth Sunday of Advent
In Luke 1:39-45 the liturgy presents to us the prophetic words of Elizabeth in whom we are invited to recognize the person of Mary as "mother of my Lord". In her words too, we are made to understand why Mary could say later "Behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed" (1:48b). She has been graced with the privilege of bearing the Lord, a grace given because of her faith. Elizabeth recognized the coming of the Lord in his mother. On the fourth Sunday of Advent, the Church symbolized in Mary is challenged to be -- for a world that awaits its Redeemer -- the one who brings the Good News of His Coming.
The Pauline reading for this day selected from Hebrews 10:5-10 is a reference to the Incarnation -- to the "body" prepared for Christ the material of which is taken from that of Mary of Nazareth. This connection is highlighted in CCC 488
"God sent forth his Son", but to prepare a body for him (Gal. 4:4; Heb. 10:5), he wanted the free co-operation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, "a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary" (Lk. 1:26-27):
The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life. (LG 56; cf. LG 61)
- 1. Ortensio da Spinetoli. "Luca: Il Vangelo dei Poveri" in Commenti e Studi Biblici (Cittadella: Assissi), p. 81 and note.
